The Gunpowder Plot of 1605 - History Learning Site Home » Stuart England » The Gunpowder Plot of 1605 The Gunpowder Plot of 1605 Citation: C N Trueman "The Gunpowder Plot of 1605" historylearningsite.co.uk. The History Learning Site, 17 Mar 2015. 16 Aug 2016. In November 1605, the infamous Gunpowder Plot took place in which some Catholics, most famously Guy Fawkes, plotted to blow up James I, the first of the Stuart kings of England. The story is remembered each November 5th when ‘Guys’ are burned in a celebration known as “Bonfire Night”. The story appears to be very simple. Catholics in England had expected James to be more tolerant of them. In fact, he had proved to be the opposite and had ordered all Catholic priests to leave England. This so angered some Catholics that they decided to kill James and put his daughter Elizabeth on the throne ensuring that she was a Catholic.

This led to a plot to kill not only the king of England, James, but also everyone sitting in the Houses of Parliament at the same time as James was there when he opened Parliament on November 5th, 1605. Guy Fawkes and his fellow conspirators, having rented out a house right by the Houses of Parliament, managed to get 36 barrels of gunpowder into a cellar of the House of Lords. The other conspirators were: John Grant and the man who is said to have organised the whole plot Robert Catesby. The most famous picture of some the conspirators The explosive expert, Guy Fawkes, had been left in the cellars to set off the fuse. He was only caught when a group of guards decided to check the cellars at the last moment. Fawkes was arrested and sent to the Tower of London where he was tortured and eventually gave away the names of the fellow conspirators. Sir William Wade, Lieutenant of the Tower, had orders to use whatever means of torture was required to get information from Fawkes. The order came from James. Of those involved, some were shot as they were chased by the law such as Percy and Catesby.

Others were captured, sent to the Tower and, after a brief trial, eventually hung, drawn and quartered, with Fawkes, in January 1606. The signature of Guy Fawkes on his confession In celebration of his survival, James ordered that the people of England should have a great bonfire in the night on November 5th. This fire was traditionally topped off with an effigy of the pope rather than Guy Fawkes. His place at the top of the fire came in later as did fireworks. The East Sussex county town of Lewes still has the pope alongside Guy Fawkes when it comes to the effigies being burned. But is there more to this plot than just a small number of angry Catholics wanting to make a statement against the king, James? Some believe that the whole plot was a government conspiracy to convince James that Catholics could not be trusted. At the very least, some curious things happened when the story is looked at in detail. What is odd? We do know that James’ chief minister, Robert Cecil, the Earl of Salisbury, hated Catholics and saw them as a constant source of trouble.

Cecil also feared that there was a chance that James would be lenient with them during his reign and this he could not tolerate. That James only expelled priests was not good enough for Cecil. He wanted to remove Catholicism from England as he saw it as a threat. We know that James was terrified of a violent death; his childhood in Scotland had been fraught with danger including being kidnapped as a boy. What better way to get James to severely persecute the Catholics in England than to get him to believe that they had tried to kill him in this very violent manner? The government had a monopoly on gunpowder in this country and it was stored in places like the Tower of London. How did the conspirators get hold of 36 barrels of gunpowder without drawing attention to themselves? Did they get help from the government? How was the gunpowder moved across London from the Tower of London to Westminster (at least two miles distant) without anyone seeing it? The River Thames would not have been used as it could have lead to the gunpowder becoming damp and useless. Thirty six barrels would have been a sizeable quantity to move without causing suspicion.

Why were men who were known to be Catholics allowed to rent out a house so near to the Houses of Parliament? How did they move 36 barrels from that house to the cellar of the Houses of Parliament without anyone noticing along with hay, straw etc? Why, for the first time in history, was there a search of Parliament’s cellars that conveniently found “John Johnson” (as Guy Fawkes called himself) before he lit the fuse? Why was the soldier who killed Catesby and Percy at Holbeech House in the Midlands, given such a large pension for life (10p a day for life) when their arrest and torture was more desirable so that the names of any other conspirators might be found out? Some historians have pointed out these issues and claimed that the plotters were pawns in the hands of Robert Cecil and that he orchestrated the whole affair in his bid to get James to ban Catholics altogether. There are, however, counter-arguments to many of the above points. Gunpowder may have been a government monopoly but just as today, there was a black market for it. The conspirators would have had the money to pay for this and it could have been smuggled in from Catholic France, for example.

The south coast was riddled with smugglers havens. Fawkes could have used his contacts with Spain to acquire it. In many senses, this would not have been a difficult problem. Moving the gunpowder from the Tower to Westminster could have been done over a number of days, barrel by barrel, journey by journey. This would have attracted less attention though it did increase the chance of being caught as more journeys were being made. One theory put forward is that it was stored at a house owned by Catesby in Lambeth and moved barrel by barrel up the Thames at night to Westminster. dangerous and risky but the conspirators were motivated men and it could have happened. The conspirators used false names so hiring out property near to the Houses of Parliament would not have been that difficult. Thomas Percy had contacts in Parliament and these were almost certainly used to get the house there and later the cellar where the gunpowder was actually put. The soldier who shot Percy and Catesby was in a firefight in which he may have been shot and killed himself. Why risk your own life against such desperate people? Was the 10p a day for life merely a generous reward for services to a grateful king?

Also, if Fawkes and company had been set-up by, why did he not say so at his execution when he could have said something? Possibly he was not in a fit enough state to say anything; also who would have believed him as he had been castigated as the evil conspirator to kill the king? It may be that the conspirators simply acted alone and then got caught. The confession of Fawkes does not mention at all any claim that he was a dupe of the government. He himself stated that he was first approached by Thomas Wintour in Europe about the plot in 1604 and that he met the others when he returned to London. The only full confession about the plot from start to finish came from Thomas Wintour. He, too, makes no mention about being set-up etc. Two issues do cloud the story, however. The first is the so-called Monteagle Letter. One of the plotters was a man called Francis Tresham. Lord Monteagle was his cousin. On the evening of October 26th, a mysterious man brought a letter to Monteagle’s home just outside of London.

The letter was a clear warning for Monteagle not to turn up at the Houses of Parliament on the 5th November. In modern English the letter stated that Parliament would receive a terrible blow on that day and that those killed would not see who had done it to them. The letter was addressed to Monteagle but it was read out aloud by his servant. Why? Was Monteagle looking for a witness that he had received this letter? Monteagle went straight to Robert Cecil and informed him of what had happened. Cecil ordered a search of the cellars of Parliament on the night of November 4th. Those guards found Guy Fawkes. A second search the next day, ordered by James I, also found the explosives and Guy who was found to be in possession of matches. he was arrested. The other issue also involves Tresham. Here was an important member of the gang who could know a great deal about other conspirators who were not actually yet caught. Once arrested, he was locked in the Tower of London – England’s most feared and secure prison. Tresham was locked in a cell by himself. He died on December 23rd 1605, and he was found to have been poisoned.

How did he get the poison? Did he knowingly take it? Or did someone want to silence him before he talked? It is possible that Tresham had the poison on him and took it rather than suffer the butchery of being hung, drawn and quartered. If someone else had access to him, and fed him poisoned food or whatever, he would have been a very important person as only the most important would have had access to this valuable prisoner. We may never know the answers to the questions. There are some who support the government conspiracy line – others think it may simply have been an ambitious plan by a small number of Catholics that went very badly wrong for them all. BBC - History - The Gunpowder Plot The Gunpowder Plot By Bruce Robinson Last updated 2011-03-29 The failed plot to assassinate James I and the ruling Protestant elite would, however unfairly, taint all English Catholics with treason for centuries to come. Who were the conspirators and what did they hope to achieve? On this page Print this page Disillusionment Spying and shoot-outs, treachery and torture, not to mention gruesome deaths. The Gunpowder Plot has it all.

Why were Catholics so bitter, and what did they hope to achieve? The year 1603 marked the end of an era. After 45 years on the English throne, Elizabeth I was dying. All signs suggested her successor would be James VI of Scotland, the son of Mary Queen of Scots - the queen who had been executed in 1587 on Elizabeth's orders. English Catholics were very excited. They had suffered severe persecution since 1570, when the Pope had excommunicated Elizabeth, releasing her subjects from their allegiance to her. The Spanish Armada of 1588 had made matters worse. To the Tudor State, all Catholics were potential traitors. They were forbidden to hear Mass, forced instead to attend Anglican services, with steep fines for those recusants who persistently refused. Yet rumours suggested James was more warmly disposed to Catholics than the dying Queen Elizabeth. His wife, Queen Anne of Denmark, was a Catholic, and James himself was making sympathetic noises. The crypto-Catholic Earl of Northumberland sent one of his staff, Thomas Percy, to act as his agent in Scotland. Percy's reports back optimistically suggested that Catholics might enjoy protection in James' England.

The early signs were encouraging. Upon his accession as James I of England (VI of Scotland), the new king ended recusancy fines and awarded important posts to the Earl of Northumberland and Henry Howard, another Catholic sympathiser. This relaxation led to considerable growth in the number of visible Catholics. Trying to juggle different religious demands, James was displeased at their increasing strength. The discovery in July 1603 of two small Catholic plots did not help. Although most Catholics were horrified, all were tainted by the threat of treason. Yet rumours suggested James was more warmly disposed to Catholics than the dying Queen Elizabeth. The situation deteriorated further at the Hampton Court Conference of January 1604. Trying to accommodate as many views as possible, James I expressed hostility against the Catholics in order to satisfy the Puritans, whose demands he could not wholly satisfy. In February he publicly announced his 'utter detestation' of Catholicism; within days all priests and Jesuits had been expelled and recusancy fines reintroduced. Although bitterly disappointed, most English Catholics prepared to swallow the imposition of the fines, and live their double lives as best they could. But this passive approach did not suit all.

Robert Catesby was a devout Catholic and familiar with the price of faith. His father had been imprisoned for harbouring a priest, and he himself had had to leave university without a degree, to avoid taking the Protestant Oath of Supremacy. Yet he possessed immense personal magnetism, crucial in recruiting and leading his small band of conspirators. Top The plotters The lower ground floor vault of the House of Lords where the gunpowder was stored © Their first meeting was on 20 May 1604. Catesby was joined by his friends Thomas Wintour, Jack Wright and Thomas Percy at the Duck and Drake, in the Strand. The fifth person was Guy Fawkes. Originally from York, he had been recruited in Flanders, where he had been serving in the Spanish Army. They discussed their plan to blow up Parliament House, and shortly afterwards leased a small house in the heart of Westminster, installing Fawkes as caretaker, under the alias of John Johnson. With Parliament successively postponed to 5 November 1605, over the following year the number of plotters gradually increased to ten.

Robert Keyes, Robert Wintour, John Grant and Kit Wright were all relatives, by blood or marriage, to one or more of the original five conspirators. As one of Catesby's servants, Thomas Bates' loyalty was equally firm. Fawkes was to light the fuse and escape to continental Europe. In March 1605 the group took out a lease on a ground-floor cellar close by the house they had rented from John Whynniard. The cellar lay directly underneath the House of Lords, and over the following months 36 barrels of gunpowder were moved in, enough to blow everything and everyone in the vicinity sky high, if ignited. Still hoping for foreign support, Fawkes travelled back to Flanders. Unsuccessful, he was also spotted by English spies. They reported back to Robert Cecil, Earl of Salisbury, James' first minister, and made the link between Fawkes and Catesby. Over the next two months Catesby recruited Ambrose Rookwood, as well as Francis Tresham and Sir Everard Digby. Both Rookwood and Digby were wealthy and owned large numbers of horses, essential for the planned uprising.

Tresham was Catesby's cousin through marriage, and was brother-in-law to two Catholic peers, Lords Stourton and Monteagle. Back in London in October, with only weeks to go, the final details were planned. Fawkes was to light the fuse and escape to continental Europe. To coincide with the explosion, Digby would lead a rising in the Midlands and kidnap King James's daughter, Princess Elizabeth, ready to install her as a puppet queen. In Europe, Fawkes would be arguing the plotters' case to continental governments, to secure their passive acceptance, even support. Top Discovery Copy of the 'anonymous' letter delivered to Lord Monteagle © Everything seemed ready. But on the night of 26 October, an anonymous letter was delivered to Lord Monteagle, warning him to avoid the opening of Parliament. He took the letter - generally thought to have come from Tresham - to Salisbury, who decided the best results would be achieved by striking at the last minute. Thomas Ward, one of Monteagle's servants, had warned the plotters of the letter. Undaunted, they returned to London, and on 4 November Percy visited his patron, Northumberland, to sniff out any potential danger.

Smelling nothing, they pressed on with the plan, and Catesby, Wright and Bates set off for the Midlands. All seemed well. It wasn't. The waiting over, Salisbury ordered Westminster to be searched. The first search spotted a suspiciously large amount of firewood in a certain cellar. The second, at around midnight, found Fawkes. Immediately arrested, he gave only his alias, but Percy's name had already been linked with the cellar and house, and a warrant for his arrest was immediately issued. The plotters escaped from London for the Midlands. Rookwood was the fastest, covering 30 miles in two hours on a single horse, a considerable achievement that enabled him to catch up with, and warn, his co-conspirators. ...his silence had prompted James I to give permission to use torture, gradually 'proceeding to the worst'. These six plotters - Catesby, Rookwood, the Wright brothers, Percy and Bates - rode on towards Warwickshire. As the first bonfires of thanksgiving for the discovery of the plot were being lit in London, 'John Johnson' was being interrogated.

By 6 November his silence had prompted James I to give permission to use torture, gradually 'proceeding to the worst'. Even this, however, failed to extract any useful information for two more days. In the Midlands, the plotters raided Warwick Castle. By now they were wanted men and, with their stolen horses, they rode to Holbeche House in Staffordshire, which they thought would be more easily defended. On arrival, they discovered that their gunpowder was soaked, and laid it in front of the fire to dry. They should have known better: the ensuing explosion blinded John Grant, rendering him useless for the inevitable confrontation. This came quickly, in the form of 200 men led by Sir Richard Walsh, the High Sheriff of Worcestershire. They arrived at Holbeche House in the morning of 8 November. The battle was short. Catesby, the Wrights and Percy died from their wounds; Thomas Wintour, Rookwood and Grant were captured. Five others remained at large. Top High treason Guy Fawkes being interrogated by King James VI of Scotland and I of England © Not for long, however. By December, only Robert Wintour was still free.

Furthermore, under interrogation Bates had admitted confessing the details of the plot to the Jesuit priest Father Tesimond. With the Jesuits now implicated in the 'Powder Treason', the government set about finding them, ransacking scores of Catholic homes in the process. To further capitalise on the widespread sense of shock, the 'King's Book' - containing James's own account of what had happened, as well as the confessions of Fawkes and Thomas Wintour - was rushed through, appearing in late November. Francis Tresham died of illness in the Tower in December, and Robert Wintour was captured in the New Year. On 27 January 1606 the trials began. Westminster Hall was crowded as spectators listened to Sir Edward Coke's speech. Under instructions from Salisbury, the Attorney General lay principal responsibility on the Jesuits, before describing the traditional punishment for traitors: hanging, drawing and quartering. They would be hanged until half-dead, upon which their genitals would be cut off and burned in front of them. Still alive, their bowels and heart would be removed.

Finally they would be decapitated and dismembered; their body parts would be publicly displayed, eaten by the birds as they decomposed. ...before describing the traditional punishment for traitors: hanging, drawing and quartering. Only Digby pleaded guilty, and his trial followed that of the other seven. All were found guilty of high treason. Digby, Robert Wintour, Bates and Grant were executed on 30 January, with Thomas Wintour, Rookwood, Keyes and Fawkes dying the next day. Yet the repercussions rumbled on. Some small fry were tortured in the Tower and, tainted by Percy, the Earl of Northumberland was imprisoned there until 1621. However, Monteagle's letter - now kept in the Public Records Office - rewarded him with an annuity of around £700 per year. It was ordinary Catholics, however, who suffered the longest as a result of the Gunpowder Plot. New laws were passed preventing them from practising law, serving as officers in the Army or Navy, or voting in local or Parliamentary elections.

Furthermore, as a community they would be blackened for the rest of the century, blamed for the Great Fire of London and unfairly fingered in the Popish Plot of 1678. Thirteen plotters certainly proved an unlucky number for British Catholics: stigmatised for centuries, it was not until 1829 that they were again allowed to vote. Frequently Asked Questions: The Gunpowder Plot - UK Parliament Frequently Asked Questions Four staff networks for people to discuss and consider issues. Working in Parliament Find and register for Parliament's free events and training sessions Have your say See some of the sights you’ll encounter on a tour of Parliament Planning an event? Frequently Asked Questions: The Gunpowder Plot Interesting facts and information relating to the Gunpowder Plot of 1605. Where can I find further information about the Gunpowder Plot? What exactly was the Gunpowder Plot? The Gunpowder Plot is the name given to the conspiracy to blow up the Houses of Parliament on 5 November 1605, which was discovered the night before. The origins of the plot remain unclear and it is doubtful that the truth will ever be known.

Generations of historians accepted it was an attempt to re-establish the Catholic religion. Others, in more recent times, have suspected that the plot was the work of a group of agents-provocateurs, anxious to discredit the Jesuits and reinforce the ascendancy of the Protestant religion. Who was involved in the Plot? The plot centred around five conspirators, Robert Catesby , Thomas Winter , Thomas Percy , John Wright and Guy (or Guido) Fawkes , later joined by Robert Keyes and seven other known accomplices, who determined to blow up of the House of Lords in 1605. The detonation was to take place on State Opening day, when the King, Lords and Commons would all be present in the Lords Chamber. There is no doubt that Fawkes, though remembered wrongly as the principal conspirator, was in fact a minor cog in the wheel. Born in 1570 at York, he was brought up as a Protestant. In 1593, he enlisted as a mercenary in the Spanish Army in the Netherlands - he became a Catholic shortly before that date. He was at the capture of Calais in 1595, where he apparently distinguished himself greatly.

He may have been chosen for his skills when it was planned to tunnel under the House, and it was an advantage that, having been abroad for some time, he was not known in London. Find out more in Living Heritage: People behind the Gunpowder plot How was the Plot discovered? The plot was discovered, in the official version, through an anonymous letter to Lord Monteagle, a Catholic, warning him not to attend the State Opening. Whether the letter was genuine or a forgery is uncertain. In any event, on the 4 November an initial search was made of Parliament (initially, it is said by Monteagle and the Lord Chamberlain, Suffolk). The cellar was thoroughly searched at midnight and Fawkes found with the gunpowder. He was then arrested. Find out more in Living Heritage: The Gunpowder plot and its discovery What happened to Guy Fawkes and the other conspirators? All the co-conspirators (except for Thomas Winter's brother, Robert) were killed or arrested by 12 November and taken to the Tower of London. They were probably subjected to extensive torture which formed part of the punishment for treason at the time.

Fawkes and the conspirators who remained alive, were tried for high treason in Westminster Hall on 27 January 1606 and all were convicted and sentenced to death. The executions took place on 30 and 31 January (Fawkes was executed on 31) and included hanging, drawing and quartering. The heads and other portions of the conspirator's bodies were set up at different points around Westminster and London. Find out more in Living Heritage: Aftermath of the Gunpowder Plot How is the Gunpowder Plot remembered? The 5 November is variously called 'Firework Night', 'Bonfire Night' or 'Guy Fawkes Day'. An Act of Parliament (3 James I, cap 1) was passed to appoint 5 November in each year as a day of thanksgiving for 'the joyful day of deliverance'. The Act remained in force until 1859. It is still the custom for Britain on, or around, 5 November to let off fireworks and children to make guys - effigies supposedly of Fawkes.

Institutions and towns may hold firework displays and bonfire parties, and the same is done, on a smaller scale in back gardens throughout the country. The year 2005 marked the 400 anniversary of the plot with an exhibition The Gunpowder Plot: Parliament and Treason held in Westminster Hall. Are the Houses of Parliament still searched before State Opening? The Houses of Parliament are still searched by the Yeomen of the Guard just before the State Opening (normally held in November since 1928) to ensure no latter-day Fawkes is concealed in the cellars, though this is retained as a picturesque custom rather than a serious anti-terrorist precaution (for which, of course, there are proper means). Gunpowder Plot - Facts & Summary - HISTORY.com Google Gunpowder Plot Discovered At about midnight on the night of November 4-5, Sir Thomas Knyvet, a justice of the peace, found Guy Fawkes lurking in a cellar under the Parliament building and ordered the premises searched. Thirty-six barrels of gunpowder were found, and Fawkes was taken into custody.

After being tortured, Fawkes revealed he was a participant in an English Catholic conspiracy to annihilate England’s Protestant government and replace it with Catholic leadership. Did You Know? From 1604 to 1611, King James I sponsored an English translation of the Bible that became known as the Authorized King James Version. What became known as the Gunpowder Plot was organized by Robert Catesby, an English Catholic whose father had been persecuted by Queen Elizabeth I (1533-1603) for refusing to conform to the Church of England. Guy Fawkes had converted to Catholicism, and his religious zeal led him to fight in the army of Catholic Spain in the Protestant Netherlands. Catesby and the handful of other plotters rented a cellar that extended under the House of Lords building, and Fawkes planted the gunpowder there. However, as the November 5 opening meeting of Parliament approached, Lord Monteagle (1575-1622), the brother-in-law of one of the conspirators, received an anonymous letter warning him not to attend Parliament on November 5.

Monteagle alerted the government, and hours before the attack was to have taken place Fawkes and the explosives were found. By torturing Fawkes, King James’ government learned the identities of his co-conspirators. During the next few weeks, English authorities killed or captured all the plotters and put the survivors on trial Gunpowder Plot: Aftermath Fawkes and the other surviving chief conspirators were sentenced to be hanged, drawn and quartered in London. Moments before the start of his execution, on January 31, 1606, Fawkes jumped from a ladder while climbing to the gallows, breaking his neck and dying. Following the failed Gunpowder Plot, new laws were instituted in England that eliminated the right of Catholics to vote, among other repressive restrictions. Guy Fawkes Night In 1606, Parliament established November 5 as a day of public thanksgiving. Guy Fawkes Night (also referred to as Guy Fawkes Day and Bonfire Night) now is celebrated annually across Great Britain on November 5 in remembrance of the Gunpowder Plot.

As dusk falls, villagers and city dwellers across Britain light bonfires, set off fireworks and burn effigies of Fawkes. Tags Guy Fawkes and Bonfire Night In 1605, thirteen young men planned to blow up the Houses of Parliament. Among them was Guy Fawkes, Britain's most notorious traitor. After Queen Elizabeth I died in 1603, English Catholics who had been persecuted under her rule had hoped that her successor, James I, would be more tolerant of their religion. James I had, after all, had a Catholic mother. Unfortunately, James did not turn out to be more tolerant than Elizabeth and a number of young men, 13 to be exact, decided that violent action was the answer. A small group took shape, under the leadership of Robert Catesby. Catesby felt that violent action was warranted. Indeed, the thing to do was to blow up the Houses of Parliament. In doing so, they would kill the King, maybe even the Prince of Wales, and the Members of Parliament who were making life difficult for the Catholics. Today these conspirators would be known as extremists, or terrorists.

To carry out their plan, the conspirators got hold of 36 barrels of gunpowder - and stored them in a cellar, just under the House of Lords. But as the group worked on the plot , it became clear that innocent people would be hurt or killed in the attack, including some people who even fought for more rights for Catholics. Some of the plotters started having second thoughts. One of the group members even sent an anonymous letter warning his friend, Lord Monteagle, to stay away from the Parliament on November 5th. Was the letter real? The warning letter reached the King, and the King's forces made plans to stop the conspirators. Guy Fawkes , who was in the cellar of the parliament with the 36 barrels of gunpowder when the authorities stormed it in the early hours of November 5th, was caught, tortured and executed. It's unclear if the conspirators would ever have been able to pull off their plan to blow up the Parliament even if they had not been betrayed. Some have suggested that the gunpowder itself was so old as to be useless. Since Guy Fawkes and the other conspirators got caught before trying to ignite the powder, we'll never know for certain.

Even for the period which was notoriously unstable, the Gunpowder Plot struck a very profound chord for the people of England. In fact, even today, the reigning monarch only enters the Parliament once a year, on what is called "the State Opening of Parliament". Prior to the Opening, and according to custom, the Yeomen of the Guard search the cellars of the Palace of Westminster. Nowadays, the Queen and Parliament still observe this tradition . On the very night that the Gunpowder Plot was foiled, on November 5th, 1605, bonfires were set alight to celebrate the safety of the King. Since then, November 5th has become known as Bonfire Night . The event is commemorated every year with fireworks and burning effigies of Guy Fawkes on a bonfire. Some of the English have been known to wonder, in a tongue in cheek kind of way, whether they are celebrating Fawkes' execution or honoring his attempt to do away with the government.

BBC - iWonder - The Gunpowder Plot: Three years in the making The Gunpowder Plot: Three years in the making 1601-1603 30-31 January 1606The plotters are hanged, drawn and quartered The greatest terror plot We all know the story of Guy Fawkes and how he was caught as he tried to blow up the House of Lords with gunpowder. But it took more than one man on a single night to nearly change the course of British history. Thirteen conspirators conceived a terrorist plot on an unprecedented scale. They would blow up Parliament, which would wipe out the King and the whole establishment and trigger a popular uprising. Plotter Thomas Wintour's confession reveals all. 1601-1603 The plotters gather You need to have JavaScript enabled to view this clip. Meet the plotters: Leader Catesby, Wright the swordsman, Percy the insider, Wintour the diplomat and Fawkes the bomb maker. Richard Lintern narrates.

Transcript (PDF 248k) A circle of young, dashing and disenchanted Catholic gentlemen meet regularly to discuss the future of England. Unlike the majority of Catholics who were loyal to the Crown, they hope to overthrow the Protestant monarchy. Some of them take part in the failed rebellion by the Earl of Essex against the government of Elizabeth I. They are imprisoned but later released after paying heavy fines. A new Protestant monarch James I of England did not reverse the anti-Catholic laws following his coronation. When Elizabeth I dies, her third cousin, James VI of Scotland, becomes also King James I of England. He announces plans to unite his two realms but faces strong opposition both north and south of the border. Although James is a Protestant he is the son of the late Catholic, Mary Queen of Scots. Catholics are hopeful that her son will be more sympathetic to their plight. Catesby starts planning the Gunpowder Plot You need to have JavaScript enabled to view this clip. Robert Catesby reveals his grand plan to Thomas Wintour in this dramatisation from BBC Two's Gunpowder 5/11: The Greatest Terror Plot.

Transcript (PDF 149k) James I orders Catholic priests to leave the country. He continues the practice of fining Catholics who won’t attend the Church of England services. In February, ringleader Robert Catesby, his cousin Thomas Wintour and John Wright meet in London and start their plans. Wintour travels to Flanders, under Spanish rule at the time, to seek Spain’s support. [Catesby] had bethought him of a way... to deliver us from all our bonds, and without any foreign help to replant again the Catholic religion. Thomas Wintour's written confession Guy Fawkes is recruited as the explosives expert You need to have JavaScript enabled to view this clip. Thomas Wintour recruits Guy Fawkes in Flanders. Transcript (PDF 150k) After years as bitter rivals Spain wants peace with England and will not aid the plotters. While he’s in Flanders, Thomas Wintour meets Guy Fawkes, who went to school with the plotter John Wright. Fawkes, who goes by the Italian name of Guido, is fighting for the Spanish army in Flanders and is an explosives expert.

He is an English nationalist who hates the Scots and any talk of union. The two men sail back to England. Meanwhile the King and Parliament introduce legislation refusing Catholics the right to receive rent or make wills. 20 May 1604 The plotters swear an oath of secrecy You need to have JavaScript enabled to view this clip. The plotters, who are all devout men, swear an oath to each other on a religious primer. Transcript (PDF 148k) Thomas Wintour and Guy Fawkes meet ringleader Robert Catesby and his friend and fellow plotter John Wright in a London pub. At the Duck and Drake Inn they are joined by Wright's brother-in-law Thomas Percy. Together these plotters create a core of five. They swear an oath of secrecy on a religious primer. June-October 1604 Thomas Percy secures a house near Parliament You need to have JavaScript enabled to view this clip. Guy Fawkes poses as Thomas Percy's servant John Johnson. The gunpowder is smuggled to Westminster You need to have JavaScript enabled to view this clip. How did the plotters manage to pack explosives under the House of Lords? Follow the gunpowder trail.

Richard Lintern narrates. Transcript (PDF 209k) The plotters' tunnel reaches the main foundations of the House of Lords. Digging slows down as they fear the noise may alert guards. The gunpowder that was in storage across the river in Catesby’s house is transported to Percy’s house where the entrance of the tunnel is. The plotters receive funding from Thomas Wintour’s brother Robert. Their brother-in-law John Grant joins the plot. He’s put in charge of preparing horses and weapons for a Midlands uprising. The Cellar was to be let, viewing the commodity thereof for our own purpose, Percy went and hired the same for yeerly rent. Guy Fawkes' confession, extracted under torture 25 March 1605 A vault is rented under the House of Lords You need to have JavaScript enabled to view this clip. The plotters secure a vault directly under the House of Lords. Transcript (PDF 149k) Thomas Percy is able to rent a vault that is directly under the House of Lords so the plotters no longer need to carry on tunnelling.

Instead, Guy Fawkes starts moving the barrels of gunpowder and kindling to the vault, always at night, and conceals them. Summer 1605 The plotters bring in extra money men You need to have JavaScript enabled to view this clip. Two new recruits join the plotters. I say they shall receive a terrible blow this parliament and yet they shall not see who hurts them. Unsigned letter received by Lord Monteagle on 26 October 1605 30 October 1605 The plotters continue despite the new risk You need to have JavaScript enabled to view this clip. Robert Catesby accuses Francis Tresham of sending the letter to Lord Monteagle. Transcript (PDF 224k) Robert Catesby suspects his cousin Francis Tresham of sending the letter. He confronts him and calls him a traitor. Tresham denies the allegations but urges Catesby to now abandon the plot. Catesby gets Guy Fawkes to check on the cellar. Nothing has been moved. The plotters are reassured.

1-3 November 1605 King James I is shown the letter and orders an investigation The letter sent to Lord Monteagle warns of a 'terrible blowe this parliament' will receive. King James is shown the Monteagle letter by his chief minister Robert Cecil. The King suspects the words ‘terrible blowe’ hint at the use of gunpowder and orders an investigation. The Privy Council discuss how they can search the parliament building without warning off the conspirators. Catesby is unaware of this and decides the plot should go ahead. 4 November 1605 The king's men search Parliament's vaults Topfoto A search party discovers Guy Fawkes loitering near the vault A covert search of the Parliament vaults takes place. The search party spot a large amount of firewood in a cellar. The attendant, Guy Fawkes, under the alias John Johnson, tells them that it belongs to his master, royal bodyguard Thomas Percy. 5 November 1605 Guy Fawkes is arrested and questioned Getty Guy Fawkes' typical signature (above) and following torture (below). He adopted the Italian version of his name 'Guido'. The king orders a second search.

Just after midnight, Fawkes is found dressed for departure and in possession of fuses and matches. He’s arrested. A more thorough search of the cellar now reveals 36 gunpowder barrels. Fawkes is dragged to King James for interrogation. He still maintains he’s called John Johnson and denies any knowledge of the barrels. The King authorises the use of torture to extract a confession. Johnson [Fawkes] … had placed Thirty-six Barrels of Gunpowder in the Vault under the House, with a Purpose to blow King, and the whole Company. Journal of the House of Commons, 5 November 1605 6-7 November 1605 The plotters flee to the Midlands Mary Evans The plotters flee to Dunchurch in the Midlands on 5 November and steal horses from Warwick that evening. Most of the plotters in London, including Thomas Wintour and Thomas Percy, flee to Dunchurch in Warwickshire. They move across the Midlands trying to raise men but the planned uprising comes to nothing. The plotters seize horses from Warwick, but Princess Elizabeth is then whisked from a manor nearby to safety in Coventry.

Catesby decides to make a last stand in the Midlands and persuades the key plotters to join him. The gentler tortours are to be first used unto him... and so by degrees proceeding to the worst, and so God speed your goode worke. King James I on Guy Fawkes 8 November, 1605 Catesby and Percy die in a shoot-out You need to have JavaScript enabled to view this clip. Robert Catesby and his fellow plotters vow to die for their cause. Transcript (PDF 149k) The remaining plotters meet at Holbeche House in Staffordshire. The gunpowder they had with them was damp and they try to dry it by the fire. It explodes and John Grant, Thomas Wintour’s cousin, is blinded. The house is surrounded by 200 of the Sheriff of Worcestershire’s men. Catesby, Percy and the Wright brothers die in the subsequent gun fight. The rest are wounded but captured alive. They are taken to the Tower of London for interrogation.

November-December 1605 The surviving plotters make their confessions The Tower of London, HRP Plotter Ambrose Rookwood was held at Martin Tower during his imprisonment where he carved his name. Fawkes makes a confession under torture on 9 November. It is trumped by a later fuller confession by Thomas Wintour during interrogation at the Tower of London. Thomas Wintour incriminates all the other plotters apart from his brother Robert. Thomas Percy’s patron, the Earl of Northumberland, is arrested, but with Percy dead there is no-one to implicate or clear him. He will remain imprisoned for the next 16 years.

Question: Who was the leader of the 'Gunpowder Plot', whose conspirators included Guy Fawkes?
Answer: ROBERT CATESBY